My tales of self-publishing and marketing my first book and it's sequel.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Prologues Are Hard To Write!

The sequel to Adirondack Nightmare is still in the works. I have written a short prologue because there's quite a leap in time from the first book to this sequel.

Well, writing a prologue is much more difficult than I thought! I needed to introduce the protagonist, Reggie, and give readers a feel for the type of young woman she is.

I also made sure to let the reader know that a significant moment was happening in Reggie's life. It was difficult for me to squeeze in just enough about Reggie so readers would get a sense of how Reggie's feeling about this big change.

Another main character, or two, had to be introduced. Very briefly. As a teaser of sorts.

I'm hoping readers will have questions in their minds after reading the prologue, get their curiosity peaked. Here's part of it:

Reggie was sitting in her purple and pink bedroom, tortured by her family’s upcoming move. She was wearing her favorite sweater, belt, sneakers and hair band. They were all pink, her favorite color. The stylish outfit normally put her in a cheerful mood, but not today. Reggie’s mind was racing from one thought to another as she looked around her beloved room. It was a total mess due to the endless job of packing her precious belongings.

Reggie looked down at a picture of her mom in an almost-full moving box. The funeral for Reggie’s mom was long over. The horrifying feelings of losing her beautiful, fun-loving mother to Cancer were coming back. Reggie was becoming overwhelmed. She needed to sort things out in her head.

It seems like my heart is always going to be broken, Reggie thought as she pulled her pillow to her chest. How could Dad remarry so soon? I just started sixth grade, why do we have to move now?

Middle of prologue here. Then the end:

“Reggie? Reggie, come on down and finish your breakfast,” Mr. Durant yelled up the stairs. “I’ve got work to do and your food is getting cold.”

“Be right there, Dad,” Reggie answered. She got off her bed, put her pillow down, wiped the tears from her face and looked at her mother’s picture in the box. With a heavy sigh, Reggie blew her mother's picture a kiss. With a determined step, she walked out of her bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen.